I. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to annunciator devices. More particularly, the invention is directed to portable annunciator devices.
II. Description of the Related Art
Conventional door chimes, buzzers and similar visitor annunciators that summon occupants to the door of a given room or building conventionally have an actuator button mounted in a hole drilled in the exterior frame of the door. Radio-frequency signals, or wires running behind interior walls of the room then connect the button in the door frame to a chime installed inside the building, distant from the door. Alternatively, a hole will be drilled through the door itself, so that both the button and the chime are permanently mounted on the door. The actuator button on the outside of the door can then be directly connected to the chime, either electrically or mechanically.
Annunciator devices having both the chime and the actuator secured to the same side of the door using spring clamps or a permanently-mounted bracket are also known. However, in these devices, the chime or buzzer is on the wrong side of the door. When the actuator button and the sound generator are on the same side of the door, the sound cannot be clearly heard inside the room or building unless the door is already open. These single-unit chimes are generally used in shops to actuate a sound generator whenever the exterior door to the shop opens. They announce visitors when the door is already unlocked, in circumstances where visitors need not summon someone inside to open the door for them, whether the door is the exterior door of a shop or an interior door, such as the door to a child's room.